Rockies Veteran Germán Márquez Has Dramatically Raised Trade Deadline Value

The Colorado Rockies may have a very valuable starting pitcher at the trade deadline.

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The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in Major League Baseball and as a result, are of course expected to sell at the trade deadline 10 days from now.

Over the last couple of months though, many insiders and pundits have wondered how many pieces the team actually has that would command any sort of significant return.

While the question was valid, one Rockies star has drastically changed the way other teams are looking at him recently at the exact right time for Colorado.

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During a recent article, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com named Rockies veteran right-hander Germán Márquez as someone who has raised their stock significantly ahead of the July 31 deadline date.

"Márquez’s overall numbers this season aren’t pretty: He’s 3-10 with a 5.57 ERA in 19 starts (95 1/3 innings)," Feinsand wrote. "But in his final six outings before the break, the right-hander posted a 2.78 ERA in 32 1/3 innings – and that included a six-inning, six-run performance against the White Sox on July 5. In the other five starts, Márquez allowed four earned runs over 26 1/3 innings, good for a 1.36 ERA."

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Márquez's resurgence has given Colorado a chess piece they can dangle in front of other teams in a starting pitcher market which is thin at best.

As teams get desperate to acquire someone they can rely upon to start games, a bidding war could occur for the 30-year-old based on how well he has thrown as of late.

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In the final season of a two-year, $20 million extension, Márquez is likely to be playing elsewhere after the season anyway, and even though he has been with the Rockies for a long time, trading him may be the best course for all parties involved.

Now in his tenth season with the team, Márquez has made 197 appearances (194 starts) in his career and posted a respectable ERA of 4.53 with a 1.318 WHIP and a record of 68-67.

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He has not been supremely effective since his lone All-Star season back in 2021, however the showing headed into the break was an encouraging sign that he still has something left in the tank.

Although it would be tough to move on from someone who has spent their entire career in Colorado, trading Márquez now may be one of the best deadline moves the Rockies can make.

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